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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kid · rule · bank · lie · saw · pitcher · content · fork

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. content — happy
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. bank — for money
  6. content — the amount
  7. rule — government
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. kid — child
  11. bank — for money
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bank — of a river
  18. rule — a law
  19. kid — to tease
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. fork — in a road
  24. pitcher — a jug

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com